Neighbor's Chickens Trying to Join My Flock

[parvani]

I skimmed enough of that article to see that their idea of “free-ranging” is dependent upon substantial acreage that backs up to forest. So I say it does not apply to people without those resources. Also, you have to give substantial amounts of food to layer breeds. They are not genetically designed to thrive on game bird scratch (nutritional deficiencies) and lawn (scratch it into a wasteland) alone. Just my $0.02

I agree.

That's why I called it a "horrible" article. The person who wrote the original post on Survivalistboards is also abusing and neglecting their birds, then bragging about it.

 

[Weeg]

I said this earlier, but am reposting. I also have the thread were I found this in the shared bookmarks section of my profile.

The free range diet can be done. Its not impossible, and in the right cases, its not neglect. It can easily become neglect if you don't have the proper resources, knowledge, and aren't willing to supplement feed if it doesn't work. You also have to have the right breeds. Bantams, Welsummer's, and lots of other breeds make great foragers. Not all breeds will do well on an all forage diet.
I was going to do it myself. I have 8 acres, and was going to get 10 birds. We have a huge yard, and then the rest of our acreage is forest. We have two 100 year old Maple trees that create piles of leaf litter underneath, a compost pile, and a creek. They would have more then enough room to forage. I was also choosing hard to find breeds that were supposed to be really good foragers.
You also have to teach them to forage, and completely stop feeding them. If you feed them there whole lives, then throw them out, and give them hardly any feed and expect them to forage, they see you as the food provider, and you are staving them to the point were they are completely reliant on you to feed them.
Plus, they don't have the forest, leaf litter, acreage, brush, any of it, so sustain proper forage availability. Plus, you do have to supplement with feed when it snows, or weather keeps them from foraging.
I decided not to do it because predation was to much of a risk.

 

[parvani]

The traditional French Bresse -- very tasty and VERY expensive in Paris -- spends several months free ranging after being initially raised on feed. Then they are finished with milk-soaked grain (or some such French thing) for a month or so before processing.

The Bresse region in France is pretty much dedicated to raising poultry for the pampered palates of prosperous Parisians, so I presume predators are prohibited.

When I first started keeping chickens last year, the full-grown Faverolles were given free access to feed from dawn to dusk, and they still spent all day foraging for bugs and other dirt-yummies to supplement their diet and amuse themselves. Unfortunately, a weasel attack in September ended that. They are now kept in a closed run with no access to dirt.

 

[Flockincrazy]

I'm having an issue with my neighbors flock storming my run and eating like they're starving whenever I let my girls out to supervise free range. It wasn't always like this: a few of the neighbor's hens who were always getting bullied would come down and snack/hang out (I also saved one from near-death from a turkey attack). But in the last few weeks, they suddenly started acting ravenous and would wipe out my flock's supplies in no time.

Well, last week we were tasked with watching their chickens while they were out of town. The first time we were to check on them was an evening; and we were horrified to see they had no feed left. But upon alerting the neighbors, they said they only give them two cups in the morning and that's it because they want them to free range for their food. The sad thing is, before we found out they were getting rationed, we filled their feeder up and they all ate it like they were starving. So, I think the reason some of the lower rung girls from their flock are desperately clamoring into mine for feed and clean water is because they probably aren't even getting any. And when I say desperate: they will dart in under my feet any chance they get, attack the feeder to the degree that it's swinging all over, and keep eating even if my girls start attacking them. This is new behavior. I hate kicking them out, but I have to sometimes.

I'm in a tough spot. I've bonded with these girls and I don't want them to be starving, but I also can't afford double the feed for them, nor is my run reliably open access. It's also impossible for me to keep them out all the time when I supervise free range because my girls like to come and go. Some of the neighbors hens even run in there and lay eggs now!

So, I want to tactfully tell the neighbors that I think they may need to up their girls' feed rations, but I'm worried about coming off judgy, and these neighbors pride themselves on raising a 'tough' flock (the girls' coop is a a large shed with no ventilation, and their water buckets have algae growing in them--they also used to pen them in with turkeys until one of their girls nearly got killed, but luckily ran down to my run where I found her). I feel bad and want to help them but realize it's not my place. What's the best way to handle this?

I should also note that we have a good relationship with said neighbors, just very different approaches to chicken-keeping. They are busy and hands-off, and we work from home, are always the ones to watch them when they are (frequently) away, and otherwise are always swarmed by their chickens and the ones to discover issues.

I would just tell them about what's going on at your house and see what happens evidently there isn't enough to forage from or they wouldn't do that if it was me I would say something

 

[Abigrayl]

I have an idea! Tell them you liked their idea of encouraging their chickens to free-range so you read up on it because you were thinking of doing it and the article said that what you should do is to offer no feed in the morning that way they spend the day looking for food and then in the late afternoon you fill their feeders so that they eat until they are full. Then you can pack the rest of the feed away or leave the little left over until the morning. And mention that because of the pecking order the stronger ones don’t let the weaker ones get to the food but this way they all go to bed with a full tummy.
I think it’s a good tactic because it appeals to their ego and the chickens will get more food than if you offend your neighbours and they don’t change.

 

[Chickenclaude]

Ok folks, a if there is a camera like a ring light or doorbell...you are screwed. Just think about doing destruction but don’t. Or you’ll be paying for their new delux coop w plenty of ventilation . Just saying

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I'm not sure if it was mentioned or not, but you can always use a worming regiment as a conversation starter... "ive got a hen that's getting a bit skinny so I'm going to use some dewormer on my flock. I've noticed your flock is a bit underweight too, and they're attacking my feeders like they're starving..." and then hold your breath and suggest they might want to consider upping their rations until the warmer seasons at least? If you mention it as a temporary thing it might give you some more time to massage the tense topic while their flock benefits from the feed. Heck, maybe if they see them looking shiney and fat they'll get the point. I'd be worried about waiting too long to have the conversation though or they might just tell you you're crazy because their hens look great (after all the feed you've put in!)

I've thought about bringing up deworming, too. Mine went through a bout of roundworms last fall, so it's bound to be around and theirs very likely have some populations of them. I thought about bringing it up like it's on me and my flock for starting the neighborhood worm problem. And yes, I do worry that their healthier look will not back my case (though I'm happy to see them looking better).

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

“ You get what you put up with”...my Grandmother

yup.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I was in similar situation many years ago. I had 6 hens and the neighbor had about 2 dozens. She was adamant that chickens do not need to be fed anything more than handful of wheat, between the lot of them, to come into the night enclosure. Her hens thought otherwise and as soon as they found out the banquets my girls got, they invited themselves for lunch. I tried to reason with her to no avail. But then her hens really made themself at home, and also discovered all the comfy nesting boxes in my shed, which in past was home of considerably large flock. And so soon I started to get 20plus eggs a day. And my neighbor started to complain that her hens are not laying. I told that to lay she needs to feed them. Not sure if she did, but I kept all my friends supplied with lovely fresh eggs for few years.

I wish I had a bigger, more open enclosure because I'd love to accommodate their hens for whatever they need... and skim the extra eggs lol. While caring for them this weekend, I noticed their nesting boxes are full of poop (and moreover, their coop floor is 75% large mounds of poop, 25% shavings. I almost want to offer to clean it out for them! No wonder their hens try to lay in our coop when they get a chance.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I might have turned a corner and am feeling less empathetic towards them. Yesterday, I noticed them rounding up their chickens and putting them in the coop, suitcases outside the car. They left, and I wondered, "is anyone looking after the chickens? do they want us to feed them or let them out?" Thank goodness I ended up sending a text to ask if they needed us to do anything. They said they "already put them in for the night" (this is at 3 p.m.) and that it'd be nice if we could let them out in the morning (they'd be getting back the next night). Immediately I decided to check on them, because I had a feeling their situation wasn't the best. This is what I found: all the chickens and turkeys were in their pens in the completely airtight coop with no light. The turkeys pen had NO FOOD OR WATER. The chickens had water but no food and they were pecking at their feeder. This is in the afternoon.... and they were not planning to be back until the following night. WTF?!! I about lost it. Not to mention they have a broody hen they probably didn't notice getting her butt kicked in the nesting box and looking terrible (so I've been working with her). I hate the emotional distress this is causing, and moreover what their poor chickens have to deal with. My one consolation is that they are free range, so only have to deal with that setup for short stretches... except for when they randomly decide to pen them up in the dark without food/water. UGHHHHH!!!!

They may disguise their behavior as toughening up the animals--that is what abusers do. You know already what their reaction will be. I am thinking they may be angry at you for giving the chickens food and water, and making "sissies" out of them. I don't see the value of having a good relationship with abusers. But you know the situation better than I do.